Stir Me (Rouse Me 2)

"I plead the fifth."

"And you say your ex has no reason to be in love with you." She shakes her head. "You know, when I spoke to Mr. Knight on the phone, I was expecting some dry conversation about numbers. He wasn't very confident about the prenup."

"Don't pass this on to Mr. Knight, but he's a coward about these things."

"Yeah?"

I nod. "We can think outside the box here. There's always a way to get what you want, even if you have to resort to manipulation."

"Like blackmail?"

"Not legally. More like reminding him that the details of an affair will become public if you two go to court."

Penny smiles. "Okay." She laughs. "I feel ridiculous giving you advice, but the way you lit up when you mentioned your girlfriend--"

"I did?"

"Definitely. It's charming. If I hadn't sworn off men, I'd be madly jealous. The thing is... the more space that came between me and Alexander, my husband, the harder it got to talk to him. What started as a little distance snowballed. And now I feel like he's a stranger."

"I understand." I lean a little closer, really selling the charm. "But we should get back to your divorce. Your husband expects you to walk away with no struggle because of the prenup. I don't know your background, but I'd understand if you thought it was generous. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money to most people, but it's nothing to him. He agreed to be your partner, and he didn't hold up his end of the bargain. Now he's going to pay for it, and he's going to lose the only thing he cares about--cash."

"Maybe." Penny squeezes the tissue in her hands.

"I'll be honest. Mr. Knight doesn't want me to be so aggressive in these negotiations. He'd prefer that we make a reasonable offer and get this over with. It's not the choice I would make, but I can understand if you'd rather get out of your marriage quickly than get out of your marriage with a boatload of money."

"A boatload?"

I smile. "Yes, a boatload. If you want to be greedy, this is your chance."

"I don't know."

"This is a terrible offer, Penny. He can do better. You can do better."

"But it's not my money."

"I know how you feel. You think you'll be a gold digger if you ask for what you deserve. But that's a lie someone else has sold you. He agreed to support you, and he failed. I'm here to make sure you get what you are legally entitled to."

"And I'm legally entitled to a boatload?" she asks.

"According to his financial statements. You'll never have to work again. Not if you don't want to."

"But what about the prenup?"

"A prenup is only as good as opposing counsel. And trust me, I'm much better than this prenup."

"But won't that take a long time?"

"Yes, but not your time. And, thanks to Mr. Knight, we bill a flat rate."

"So I might as well let you go crazy?"

I nod. "It would be my pleasure."

"Yeah," she says. "Maybe losing a boatload of money will finally get his attention."

"Exactly."

I offer my hand, and Penny shakes it.